I had my yearly health screening through work a few weeks ago and my health numbers aren't good. My triglycerides, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and total cholesterol are the highest they've ever been and are in the "borderline high" range. Of course, my weight is also the highest it's ever been. I also had some elevated liver enzymes which I can absolutely guess is related to my excessive wine consumption although being obese can also raise those numbers, so double whammy. Seeing all of these numbers and how they're worse than ever made me feel really bad about the choices I've been making. It was a reality check that I really need to be better about my health.
Remember that weight loss medicine, Wegovy, that I was trying to get? Well, I still haven't gotten it and I don't know if I ever will. I didn't know how much the medication would cost, but I assumed that it would be partly covered by insurance. However, I recently learned that you can look up medications and what they'll cost with your insurance on this app. I went on the app and typed in Wegovy only to find that it is a medication that is "outside of plan" and would cost me $1500 out of pocket just for ONE MONTH of medication. That is absolutely unaffordable! I was immediately extremely discouraged as I didn't realize it wouldn't be covered by insurance at all. You don't know how disappointed I was as I was hoping this would be a tool to help me get started toward better health.
Anyways, I had previously scheduled another doctor's appointment with a new doctor (as mine is out on maternity leave) for mid-January. This appointment was supposed to be a 4-6 week check-up on my progress with the Wegovy medication, but as I've said, I've never even gotten the medication. I could have cancelled the appointment but I decided to go anyway just to see if there were any other options available to me. I ended up really liking this new doctor as she took her time with me and gave me hope. I had brought my health screening results and gave her the rundown on the Wegovy saga. She is not totally convinced that my insurance won't pay for Wegovy as I have not received a denial letter in the mail. When Wegovy was initially incorrectly prescribed as Ozempic, a medication for people with Type 2 diabetes, I almost immediately got a denial letter in the mail. I haven't received any such letter since Wegovy was submitted for me at the end of December, which made my doctor think that perhaps my insurance will pay for part of it. She gave me a glimmer of hope as she resubmitted the prescription for Wegovy with a new Prior Authorization detailing why she thinks I need the medication. I had given her a brief history of my weight struggles and told her about my dad passing at age 35 due to weight-related issues. She even came up with a backup plan if Wegovy is ultimately denied. If I can't get Wegovy, she said she would prescribe me phentermine and topiramate, medications that help with weight loss by suppressing appetite and stimulating metabolism. I read up on these after the appointment and they may not be as effective as Wegovy, but they have worked well for some people. It's still at least something! This doctor definitely made me feel better and gave me hope that we can still have a plan and tools we can use.
As of right now, I'm still waiting to find out if Wegovy is approved or not. My new doctor warned that Prior Authorizations can sometimes take a while, and it's only been just over 2 weeks at this point. So, patiently I wait.
In the meantime, I have cut back on my wine consumption by not drinking every single day lol. I am trying not to drink at all during the work week, but I've slipped up a few times on that. I at least am still not drinking every day which I had been for a long time. I'm also still working on walking 3,000 steps per day. According to my app, I'm averaging 2700 steps per day, so I'm close. Nick and I have walked around the neighborhood a few times after work, but we definitely need to make that more of a habit. I try to get most of my steps in at work, but there are days I am just chained to my desk and computer and don't get many steps in. Since January 1, I've lost 3.6 lbs. I'm not sure if that's a true loss or just some water weight or what, but I'll take it either way. I'm sure cutting back on the wine alone is helping because I was downing hundreds and hundreds of empty calories per day. How awful! I hope my liver enzymes will have improved the next time they're checked.
So, I'm trying here! I have more to write about but will have to do it later. I actually started this entry a few days ago and never got to finish!
9:51 a.m. - Friday, Jan. 27, 2023